Power Seeders

Written by Charles Peacock

Power seeders are machines designed to plant grass seeds. They are used by professional sod growers, but are also very useful for landscapers who need to plant and repair damaged areas of grass. Let's take a look at how power seeders work.

How Power Seeders Operate

Power seeders operate by distributing seeds into a spinning planting mechanism that pierces tiny holes in the ground and deposits a seed in each one. These blades can be adjusted for width and depth, so you can plant seeds as closely together as you'd like, and as deep as you'd like. This is particularly useful since different type of grass seeds have different planting requirements.

While industrial-sized power seeders are used for planting huge sod farms, smaller units are more common and are used for planting and repairing lawns. Lawn "renovation," as it is called, involves the planting of new seeds over patches of grass that are dead or drying. Many power seeders are in fact specifically designed for lawn renovation.

The process of renovating grass by planting seeds with a power seeder is referred to as "overseeding." Overseeding cuts a small slit into the turf and deposits a seed, which allows you to plant grass where some grass already exists. This method is particularly useful for lawns that have been only slightly damaged and need some filling in.